Accused granted 20m bail for wounding with intent

The accused was charged to court on three count charges of wounding with intent, wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 47 of the Offense Against the Person Act 1861.

The particulars of offences stated that on Sunday 10 September, 2017, at Martin Street in Freetown, the accused wounded Andersen Koroma with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, and on the same date and time he maliciously wounded and assaulted the complainant in a manner thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.

Lead in evidence by sergeant 785 A.Kamara, first prosecution witness, Anderson kamara,recognized the accused and recalled 10 September, 2017 while he was at his business Centre in the morning hours, some people were celebrating victory for the chairmanship position in that area.

The witness continued that as they were celebrating: “they came very close to my store and I asked them to go out but the accused refused and there was an argument in which the accused took a stone and hit me on my forehead.”

The witness testified that when the accused hit him with the stone: “ I was unconscious and was assisted by other neighbours who took me to the Eastern police station where I was issued a medical report. From there, I went to the Connaught hospital for treatment.”

“After that I later went to the Police station and made a statement.”

PW2 Mohamed Alhaji Bangura, who testified in the same matter said he knew the accused during the incident and the complainant on the same date, recalling on 10 September 2017.

The witness further testified that at the time of incident, the accused was trying to enter the complainant store but somebody cautioned him from doing so.

“The accused refused and someone pushed him out and he fell down,” he said, adding that the accused stood up and hit the complainant with a stone on his forehead and tried escaping but was caught.

He said as they were going to the Eastern Police station, they met a police officer, who took them to the station, while his uncle later took him to the Connaught hospital for treatment.

Defense lawyer A.S. Tambe, made an application for bail, saying that the accused is a Sierra Leonean by nationality and therefore pleaded to the Magistrate to grant him bail.

Magistrate Bonnie granted bail to the accused in the sum of twenty million Leones, two sureties, who must be residents in Freetown and that they should produce national identity cards to the master and Registrar.